Can Your Kids Find the Hidden Messages in Their Entertainment?

Can Your Kids Find the Hidden Messages in Their Entertainment? - Parenting Like HannahWhen I was a kid, I remember someone telling us about “hidden messages” in albums if they were played backwards. Frankly, I was more curious about how in the world you could get your album to play backwards than any possible hidden messages.

As I reached my teen years, the emphasis switched from possible subliminal messages to the lyrics of songs. While I understood the concern, anyone who knows me knows I totally mis-hear most song lyrics and what I sing is nothing close to the real lyrics. (And don’t even get me started on the Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds revelation by my dad when we played it in orchestra!)

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9 Tips for Raising Hope-Filled Kids

9 Tips for Raising Hope-Filled Kids - Parenting Like HannahRecently an elementary school teacher shared they were getting suicide prevention training, because suicide rates for children were rising so drastically. There are many reasons for the rise in suicides, but one contributing factor is often that the person has lost all hope. While raising hope-filled kids won’t guarantee they will never commit suicide or harm themselves in other ways, it does greatly improve the chances they will be less likely to feel there is no hope in their lives or their worlds.

Although some children seem to be more naturally hope-filled than others, any child can become more hopeful when taught some important principles and skill sets. While there are probably many things you can do to give your kids hope, here are a few of my favorites:

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Becoming Mom Strong

Becoming Mom Strong - Parenting Like HannahBeing a Mom can be scary. There are times when it can feel overwhelming. Christian parenting takes even more effort than “regular” parenting. It’s tempting to stop putting in the extra effort and allowing God to “fix our mistakes” – or hoping your kids will pick up enough at church to become godly men and women.

Heidi St. John has written a new book Becoming Mom Strong. She advocates allowing God to give you that extra strength, energy – whatever you need – to Christian parent the way He wants you to parent. Her theory, one could say, is that tapping into God and becoming stronger spiritually, will also provide additional strengths you need.

I thought it was a very interesting perspective that she believes God created childbirth to happen when women are young and often have little life experience on purpose. She theorizes it is by God’s design, precisely because they are inexperienced. Although she doesn’t say it explicitly, St. John implies it is because those young moms will then turn to God for His guidance in raising their kids.

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Gifts to Help Kids Reach Their Godly Potential

Gifts to Help Kids Reach Their Godly Potential - Parenting Like HannahGift giving to kids always fascinates me. There are the families who encourage their kids to ask for donations to charity instead of gifts for themselves. There are families who have a three or four gift limit. There are grandparents who shower kids in presents. There are uncles, aunts and friends who purposely seek out the most annoying gifts possible for your kids in order to amuse themselves.

My theory is that if you want your kids to reach their godly potential and become mighty men and women of God, there are special gifts you should give them. Don’t worry. Many of them are actually more fun than those plastic toys with a million pieces (although some of these are probably also plastic with a million pieces…). Yet these gifts have a secondary purpose. They are gifts that make your kids think or help them discover some of the gifts God may (or may not) have given them. Hopefully, they will point your kids towards who God created them to be.

So what are these gifts? In the list below, I have given you categories, but also a link to an example in that category to start your thinking. (I am not endorsing any particular company, brand or product including the website to which the link takes you. I merely want to give you a visual of the types of things I am suggesting.)

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Why Your Kids Need An Imperfect Thanksgiving

Why Your Kids Need An Imperfect Thanksgiving - Parenting Like HannahI blame Norman Rockwell. Or maybe the Saturday Evening Post. Somehow they took a holiday that was created to be about families thanking God for His blessings and created a competitive holiday. Don’t believe me? Take a look at your local magazine rack. Thanksgiving issues are all about having the best turkey or sides ever. The photos are absolutely stunning, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a turkey come out of the oven even closely resembling those.

So, around the country moms start planning and purchasing days and even weeks before. Many start cooking on Wednesday and cook all day Thursday. Often the kids are shooed out of the kitchen and told to watch the parade on television or go outside and play with their siblings or cousins. Why? Because in order for everything to be “perfect” for the most important meal of the year, we just don’t want all of those little ones “under foot”.

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